Suspended concrete flooring system and method

Abstract

A suspended concrete flooring system (100) comprising a plurality of spaced-apart load-bearing members (110) or supporting walls that support a plurality of joists (122) having opposing sides and arranged substantially at right-angles to the load-bearing members. The joists have a support shelf (127) running the length of each opposing side for the purpose of supporting a plurality of fiber cement corrugated sheets (130) that span the space between the joists. A shrinkage control mesh (140) is arranged atop the corrugated sheets and is oriented generally in the direction of the load-bearing members and the joists. A thin layer of concrete (150) is formed over the corrugated sheets and the shrinkage control mesh, to form a flat, horizontal floor surface (151). The load-bearing members and the joists are made of strong, lightweight materials, such as steel. The combination of the light-weight structural materials, the fiber cement corrugated sheets, and the thin concrete layer allows for a suspended concrete floor system that is easily constructed and that has a relatively wide span as compared to conventional suspended concrete floor systems.

Description

1. Field of the InventionThe present invention relates to flooring systems, and in particular relates to suspended concrete flooring systems for use in residential and commercial construction projects.2. Description of the Related ArtSuspended flooring systems are gaining popularity for both residential and commercial construction projects. This is increasingly true for projects on sloped construction sites. Traditionally, a sloped site must be leveled by cutting away a suitable area for a foundation, and then erecting substantial retaining shoring to uphold the surrounding terrain. This is often costly, and thus, suspended flooring systems offer an attractive alternative because the land does not have to be substantially altered before construction can begin.Additionally, consumers have expressed a preference for concrete floors over wooden floors because of its smooth, flat surface that does not bow or warp, it is silent and does not squeak, it is fire resistant, and it is resista...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This is often costly, and thus, suspended flooring systems offer an attractive alternative because the land does not have to be substantially altered before construction can begin.

Although consumers have expressed a preference for concrete flooring, many consumers are forced to settle on suspended floors constructed of wood because of its cost advantage over concrete suspended flooring.

Generally, suspended concrete floors are both material and labor-intensive and are thus often cost prohibitive regardless of the construction technique.

This results in a floor that is very heavy and therefore requires a significant amount of formwork to hold the floor in place.

Furthermore, the substantial amount of concrete results in a floor that is very expensive to install.

However, the substantial formwork necessary is labor intensive and usually makes this option cost prohibitive, especially for residential construction projects.

This method involves less supportwork than traditional poured floors; however, pre-cast slabs or beams are generally too heavy for manual installation and this technique often requires the use of heavy machinery, such as cranes, to position the heavy slabs into the framework, which makes construction projects on sloped construction sites problematic.

Not only are there additional costs associated with delivery of the slabs, but the additional handling of the cured slabs, (e.g. truck loading and unloading, lifting the slabs with a crane, positioning the slabs into the framework) presents opportunity for the slabs to become damaged.

Therefore, a significant amount of underlying supportwork is often required to provide adequate structural support for the floor during construction.

The installation of the supportwork, usually in the form of framework or formwork, in preparation for such a floor is a predominant component of the labor cost, and often makes large floors economically infeasible.

Accordingly, the ability to span a large area of floor with a minimum of supports during construction is a significant challenge in construction, and is a constant goal of suspended concrete flooring system design.

However, health risks associated with the manufacture of asbestos-cement based materials have restricted their use in recent years.

Asbestos-based cement composites also often exhibit brittle failure, while glass fiber reinforced cements are sensitive to age and curing, reducing the efficiency and desirability of these reinforcing agents.

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